Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is testing out biometric passenger screening in collaboration with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Airport authorities have set up a separate boarding gate through which passengers can pass without having to show their passports or boarding passes, instead undergoing a biometric scan using facial recognition. Interested passengers can volunteer to register their biometrics and boarding and passport documents, and in return can expect a faster and more convenient boarding process.

Schiphol authorities assure volunteers that their data won’t be shared, and will be deleted once they’ve boarded the plane.

The new security lane was first introduced in 2015, with KLM and the Schiphol Airport having been partners inAruba Happy Flow, a project that set an industry standard in employing automated biometric screening to improve passenger processing at the Aruba Queen Beatrix International Airport. The project used biometric passenger identification technology provided by Vision-Box.

Schiphol authorities say the biometric screening technology, along with other new efficiency measures, will be expanded if the trials are successful, with the airport aiming to becoming a ‘leading digital airport’ in 2018, according to a statement.

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February 8, 2017 – by Alex Perala